Misty's Staryu
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Misty's Staryu (Japanese:カスミのヒトデマンKasumi's Hitodeman) was one of the three originalPokémon acquired byMisty in theKantoregion prior to the start of theanimated series, and the second one seen in her possession. Staryu also appeared in most of thegames Misty appears in.
In animation
History
Pokémon the Series: The Beginning
Kanto
Staryu first appeared inClefairy and the Moon Stone, where it was sent out by Misty to defeatTeam Rocket'sMeowth atMt. Moon. It first attacked Meowth with aSwift, followed by aWater Gun that sent him blasting off.
Misty used Staryu in her Gym battle againstAsh inthe next episode. When Ash did not recognize Staryu, he used hisPokédex on it; he later commented "Leave it to a girl to show off her jewelry!". Staryu demonstrated an Ability similar toNatural Cure, despite Abilities not having been introduced at the time, by diving into the water to negateButterfree'sStun Spore andSleep Powder. It also seemed to be rather clumsy, as it missed Butterfree and nearly slipped, almost falling into the water. Despite this, Staryu was able to beat Butterfree by Tackling it into the water.
Staryu was also used for its strong swimming abilities, helpingAsh andhis friends escape the sunkenSt. Anne inPokémon Shipwreck, and also later helped the team escapeJames's Gyarados. It reappeared inTentacool & Tentacruel, where it helpedGoldeen andStarmie rescue sailors who had been attacked. It also tried to help the group get to theNorth Pole, along with Goldeen, Starmie, andSquirtle inHoliday Hi-Jynx, however it, along with its fellow swimmers, tired out before they made it.
Misty intended to use Staryu during theQueen of the Princess Festival contest inPrincess vs. Princess, but, as is often the case with Misty calling out Staryu,Psyduck came out instead. A similar situation happened inLights, Camera, Quack-tion, where Misty wanted to have Staryu audition for a movie. However, Staryu did get a role in helping provide the rain effects for the final scene.
InVolcanic Panic, it was sent out to cool offOnix,Geodude, andPikachu with water as they dammed the eruptingCinnabar Island volcano.
Orange Islands
Staryu would again be called to help tow a raft to escape acrumbling island made up ofKabuto that were then reviving inShell Shock!. It also danced on stage inStage Fight! to help a traveling riverboat show that dubbed acting Pokémon with human voices backstage.
Staryu's strength was called upon inBye Bye Psyduck, battlingMarina'sTentacruel. Upon entering battle, Marina commented that it was an excellent looking Staryu, and Misty responded that Staryu was one of her favorite Pokémon and that she polished it daily. The pampering appeared to pay off, as it was able to take down Tentacruel with one Swift attack. It was, however, defeated by Marina's powerfulPsyduck.
InMisty Meets Her Match, Staryu utilized its excellent swimming skills to rescueMahri and herSeel from the whirlpools ofTrovitopolis.
Staryu teamed up withTracey'sMarill andCaptain Aidan's TeamSquirtle inThe Pokémon Water War to fight a fire. They managed to help out long enough forTeam Wartortle to come and take care of the rest.
InThe Stun Spore Detour,a wild Poliwag sought protection from James and Meowth by hiding behind Misty. Staryu defeatedJames's Weezing by using Tackle, followed by Double-Edge, which not only cut through Weezing'sSmog, but also sent Weezing flying.
InViva Las Lapras, Staryuwas called out, along with Goldeen,Poliwag, and Squirtle, to help defeat the pirate poachers attempting to captureLapras's mother and family. It joined the other Pokémon in destroying the pirates' cannons with its Water Gun.
Pokémon the Series: Gold and Silver
Although Misty used Staryu quite often in Kanto and during theOrange Islands saga, after shecaught her Poliwag, she started to use it less often. By the end of the Johto saga, Misty hardly ever used Staryu, preferring to use herCorsola and Politoed.
InThe Fire-ing Squad!, Staryu was entered into theFire and Rescue Grand Prix with Ash, alongsideAsh's Pikachu, his Squirtle, and Psyduck. The group competed against a team ofMuk to see who could put out a fire the fastest. Staryu and Squirtle used duel Water Guns while Pikachu kicked dirt at it. Things went well until Psyduck got in the way and ended up getting thrown into the fire. Squirtle rescued it, but the loss in time cost them the match.
Staryu was later used to fight Ash to win aTotodile inThe Totodile Duel. It battled hisChikorita, showing high determination, digging in its heels against a Tackle and dodging throughRazor Leaf andVine Whip. It was also able to strike a powerful Water Gun that jetted Chikorita several feet up and across the battlefield. It was, however, beaten to the ground by a powerful Vine Whip. Misty later apologized to Staryu, saying she hoped she had not pushed it too hard and only did so because she had an immense amount of faith in the Pokémon.
InThe Fortune Hunters, Staryu was sent out alongside Totodile to stopButch andCassidy's fakeDay Care scheme. Staryu landed a hit on Butch'sPrimeape before being taken down byDynamic Punch.
InSpell of the Unown: Entei, Staryu was called up againstMolly Hale. Being underwater, Staryu showed to be even more capable than on land. It went up againstMantine and scored a couple of Tackles before looping around for another run. Before it was able to hit, Staryu was hit by Mantine'sWhirlpool, although the attack, even combined with a direct hit from Bubble Beam, was not able to even affect it slightly. It then easily dissipated the Whirlpool with Rapid Spin and went on the offensive with several high speed Tackles, chasing Mantine through the water in dogged pursuit. The rest of the battle was not shown.
InMewtwo Returns, Staryu was sent out alongside Misty and Brock's Pokémon to stopGiovanni and the rest ofTeam Rocket from recapturingMewtwo. Their distraction gave Ash the time he needed to take Mewtwo to the top ofMount Quena so it could be healed.
Staryu acted as a firefighter again inGreat Bowls of Fire!, where it attempted to rescue the Pokémon trapped by a raging fire in theDragon Holy Land.
Pokémon Chronicles
InCerulean Blues, Staryu was used to defend theCerulean Gym from a challenge by theInvincible Pokémon Brothers. Staryu battled very well, until Kim'sHitmonchan launched a sneak attack on it, knocking it out. Despite not being able to battle, Staryu won by default due to the Pokémon Brother's cheating by using the illegal sneak attack. Kim tried to justify himself, butNurse Joy's ruling stood.
InLuvdisc is a Many Splendored Thing!, Staryu performed as a part ofDaisy's water ballet.
Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire
InThe Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon, Misty used Staryu to battleDr. Yung'sMirageAggron. Staryu began with a direct hit with Bubble Beam, which failed to faze Aggron. It was then struck with a strongSandstorm attack. Misty then ordered Staryu to use Water Gun, but this was countered withThunder Wave, and the Star Shape Pokémon was finished off with a volley ofBullet Seeds.
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon
InAlola, Kanto!, Misty sent Staryu out to destroyTeam Rocket's mecha with Bubble Beam.
Pokémon Journeys: The Series
InRocket Revengers!, Misty sent out Staryu to use Water Gun to stop aWill-O-Wisp fromJames's Yamask. It then joined Misty and Psyduck in battling him andJessie's Frillish.
Personality and characteristics
While Staryu does not seem to have much of a personality due to its extremely un-anthropomorphic features, its core and stance are often indicators of its emotions. Most of its personality is seen in battle, where it is shown to be confident and powerful, often being Misty's top choice. The two have a strong relationship, with Misty having mentioned she polishes Staryu daily.
On land, Staryu's wide array of attacks make it a tough opponent, while its speed is maximized in the water, where it often used by Misty for its strong swimming abilities. Its excellent swimming capabilities were showcased inMisty Meets Her Match, where it was able to navigate the whirlpools ofTrovitopolis while carrying Misty,Mahri, and herSeel. This is in contrast to Seel andTeam Rocket's submarine, who were unable to move through the rough waters. It often shimmers when called intobattles, and its core glows pink, accompanied by a siren-like noise, when tired or weakened.
Moves used
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| A† shows that the move was used recently, unless all moves fit this case or there are fewer than five known moves. | |||||||
In the games
Staryu has appeared as a part ofMisty's team in all theGeneration I games and theirGeneration IIIremakes.
In thecore series
Pokémon Stadium series
Round 1
In the spin-off games
Pokémon: Catch the Numbers!
Staryu appears inPokémon: Catch the Numbers! as one of the Pokémon the player needs to get back fromTeam Rocket.
Pokémon Puzzle League
Staryu is one ofMisty's three Pokémon inPokémon Puzzle League.
Artwork
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| Artwork from the Game Freak website |
In the manga
Ash & Pikachu
Misty's Staryu appeared inThe Grand Rhydon Plan.
Movie adaptations
Misty's Staryu appeared inEmperor of the Crystal Tower: Entei.
Pokémon Adventures
Red, Green & Blue arc
Misty's Staryu (nicknamed ヒトちゃんHito-chan in the Japanese version) debuted inGyarados Splashes In!, defending an injured Misty from her rampagingGyarados. It was on the brink of fainting whenRed intervened, buying Staryu enough time torecover and launch a joint attack withSaur before Red captured the Atrocious Pokémon.
InRaging Rhydon, Staryu was used to defend againstKoga's newly evolvedRhydon; however, despite its type advantage, it lost to the stronger opponent.
Yellow arc
InPlaying Horsea, Staryu was used to battle the army ofGhost-type Pokémon attackingCerulean City.
Moves used
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| A† shows that the move was used recently, unless all moves fit this case or there are fewer than five known moves. | |||||||||||||
Pokémon Zensho
Misty's Staryu appeared inCerulean City, where it was seen in her Gym.
In the TCG
This listing is of cards featuring Misty's Staryu in thePokémon Trading Card Game.
| Misty's Staryu Cards listed with ablue background are only legal to use in the currentExpanded format. Cards listed with agreen background are legal to use in both the currentStandard andExpanded formats. | ||||||||||
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| Card | Type | Mark | English Expansion | Rarity | # | Japanese Expansion | Rarity | # | ||
| Misty's Staryu |  | Gym Heroes |  |  | 90/132 | Hanada City Gym |  | |||
| Misty's Staryu | | Unnumbered Promotional cards | | |||||||
| Hanada City Gym | | |||||||||
| Gym Challenge |  | | 92/132 | Leaders' Stadium | | | ||||
| Misty's Staryu | |  | Destined Rivals |  | | 046/182 | Hot Wind Arena |  |  | 023/063 |
- Staryu also appears in the cardMisty's Tears (Gym Challenge 118).
Artwork
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| Artwork from the Hanada City GymTheme Deck | Staryu andMisty |
Merchandise
Hanada City Gym Deck
The second of two decks released on April 26, 1998 was theHanada City Gym (Japanese:ハナダシティジム カスミ) Deck, which focuses on Gym LeaderMisty and her Pokémon, which consist of entirelyWater-types. In addition to the 60 main cards, the deck includes four expansion cards, a coin, rulebook, and Pokémon Gym Guide.
Names
| Language | Name | Origin |
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| Japanese | ヒトちゃんHito-chan* | FromヒトデマンHitodeman |
| Brazilian Portuguese | Starzinha* | FromStaryu and-zinha (indicator of diminutive form) |
| Vietnamese | Bé Hito | Transcription of her Japanese name |
Trivia
- Staryu is the first main character-owned Pokémon:
- Staryu spent the most amount of time in Misty'sparty, at 277 episodes.
References
- ↑Staryu is agender-unknown Pokémon species.
Related articles
For more information on this Pokémon's species, seeStaryu.
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 | This article is part ofProject Anime, aBulbapedia project that covers all aspects ofPokémon animation. |
